Improvement in machines for drying wool



i B. JAMES.

, Wool Drier. No. 32,424. Patented May 28, 1861.

chamber is prevented.

UNITED STATES PATENT "()FFICE.

BENJAMIN JAMES, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENTJN MACHINES FOR DRYING WOOL, 80C.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 32,424, dated May-28, 1861.

of the Same into SuitablejFabrics; andl do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, ref erence being had to'the' annexed drawings, making a art of this specification, in which Figure {is a longitudinal vertical section of my invention, taken in the line :b m, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a plan or topview of same; Fig. 3, an elevationof a part of the front of the machine; Fig.4, avertical section of a portion of same, takenin the line'y y, Fig. 1. p Similar letters of:referencc indicate correspondingpafrtsi'n the several figures. The object-bf; this inventionv is to, obtain a Simple,} compact, and efficient machine for drying wool'a'nd other stock preparatory to the manufacture of the same into textile and other or similar'fabrics. v t j The inventiou'consists inthe employment. or use of elastic pressure-rollers'with a feeding device, and alsoin the employment or use of endless aprons arranged in relation with the picker and a chute, so as to receive the stock ina manner' most favorable to the drying thereof. p

The invention further'consists in a novel arrangement of certain rollers pertaining to the endless aprons, whereby the escape of heated air from the lower part of the drying- The invention still further consists in a novel arrangement of the driving mechanism whereby certain portions of the working parts of the machine may be stopped when necessary while other portions are allowed to operate. To enable those "skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it. v

A representsa framing, which may be constructed in any proper way to support the working partsof the machine, and B isa horizontal feed-apron, which is placed at the front part of the framingA and on suitable rollers, a a, which are shown in Fig. l.

C Q are two elastic pressure-rollers, which are placed one over the other in the same axial plane, and at the'inner end of the apron B, the

bite of the rollers (l 0 being in line with the upper part of the apron B. The rollers O C may be of india-rubber or other suitable elastic material, placed on proper shafts, b I), which are connected at one end by gears c c,

thedriving-power being applied to the shaft 7 b of the lower roller, 0, by means of gears d e d 6, one of which, (1, is on the shaft 1) of the lower roller, and another, e, outhe shaft of a fluted roller, D, which is, placed over a concave or apron, f, that is in line with the bite of the rollers 00'. ,The gear d is also on the shaft of the dated roller D, and the gear 6',

4 which is on ashaft', g, meshesinto d, the shaft 9 having a pulley, h, on it, which is driven by a belt, a, from a pulley, j, on a shaft, is, at the lower part of the framing A. (Shown clearly in Fig. 2.) The apron B is driven by gears at from the upper roller, 0.

On the framing A there is placed a rotary picker, ES This picker may be constructed in the usual or inany proper way. It is represented inthe drawings, Figs. land 2, as being formed of serrated bars Z, attached to the peripheries of wheels at m, which. are

placed on a shaft, n,-'the. serrated bars I being parallel with the shaft a.

The picker E is rotated by a belt, 0, from a drivingshaft, F, on the upper part of the flram ing, and one end of the picker-shaft nhas a pulley, q, o'nit, around which a belt, 1", passes, i

said belt also passing around a-pulley, j, on the shaft k.

G is an apron or chute, which is placed below the-picker E, and is of concave form, as clearly shown in Fig. 1,and H is a box which is placed in the framing A, and has steam or hot-air pipes I in itslowerpart, the'pipes I being coiled or arranged in any properway within the box H. Within the box H, and

just over the pipes I, there is placed a perforated plate-0r partition'l. This perforated plate serves to equalize'the heat or current of warm air in its passage up'through box H.

' J is a rotary fan or blower, which is placed within a suitable box, K, in the framing, said box communieatingwith the lower part of the hot-air box H, as shown in Fig. 1. The fan or blowerJ is driven by a belt, 8, from the shaft-E L M represent two endless aprons, which run in contact within the hot-air boxH, and work over rollers t, as shown clearlyin Fig. 1.

. rollers u. Thearrangement of th as wiz'e'cloth or other suitable snbstaneethe' through theaprons. Ido not confine myself to I stock isthrown on the apron M in a'loose light The apron L, besides working over the-rollers t, works over a roller, 12, and the apron M, besides working over the rollers 4t, works over I eaprons and roll'ersis'fu'llyshown in Fig.1. I

Thexdirecti nofthe movementof theaprons L M is'i'n'dicated by -the arrows in Fig, 1, and the two aprons pass out of thehot-airbox H between tworollers t? n, the lower one-0f which, u/{has its journals a; fitted in vertical slots w, to admit of a vertical adjustment or; rnovem'e i'it dfv saidrollera. 1 e Theftwo' aprons come in tween two rollers,'t 'u contact be- ,gn'st above the endof the apronlforehuteG, and they pass out "of -'contact between two rollers, .t.lu",-'atlthe upperpart-pend on'ter sideof the -box ;H. The aprons are constructed ofsorne epen materialobject being to'allowthe heated ai'r' to'pass any particular form or construction of aprons; On the upper part of the framing A-there is'plaeeda r peris formed by placing brushes a in a shaft, 1), which is directlyovertheroller t' of they apron L, and the shaft b is rotatedvby. a belt,

0, from'the driving shaft F. The rollers t are rotated and theaprons'L M moved by a belt, 0, which' passes around'each one of the pulleys d'on the axes of'the rollerst and around. a pulley, uh, on one-ofthe rollers uofthe apron The fluted roller D 'is rotated-bye belt, 'e, from one of the pulleys 22%;. The pulleyli 'isplaced looselyfon' the shaft it, and'iseon-k nected 'to' the pnlleyj'o-n saidsh'ai't byfa clutch f, the pulley j being moved laterally on shaft :lc' by means of either of two levers, P P, said .levers being connected bya rod, g'.' a The'operation of the'machineis as follows; The stockto be driedjsplaced on the apron B, the latter conveying it totheelasticrollers Q C, which compress a considerahlequantityof moisture from thestoclL-r'- Thelfiutedroller D" takes the stockfrom thebi'te' of the rollers C O and carries it around-over the concavef, the picker E takingthe stock from rollerjD and. throwing it down" the chute G and on the apron M at a point justbelowftheirollers t ;\,The

state and, in an evenanduniformrnan ner 'and is carri'd -.-be tween the 'tWQEfiProns .'down through jth box E, which --i s} aidrying oham her, air being forced up" through it'. by' ;t he rotary fan J, the air beingheated by the pipes I, This heated airpasses throngh the two aprons I and the stock-which is. between them, and the latter is consequently dried in an expeditious evolving stripper, N. This'stri'p'v-i and thereby insure 'a-r claimas new aprons.

and perfeot manner; By ,having the lower roller, u, f the pair t a, between which the aprons lea e the box H, movable saidroller is allowed to yieldfor giv'e'to'coni'orm to the un equal thic ness of the lay er of stock between them, the gollerskeepingin contactwith the 'aprons to prevent'theescape of'heated air.

' The dried'stock is discharged froiubetween the two 'aprons between the two rollers 1/ u, and the stripper N prevents any stock passing.

around with the apron 1]. In case at any time it should become necessaryto stop the aprons 'L -M inte'rmittinglyto efi'ect'a thorough dryt'i'ng'of thestoek', theoperator or attendant by ao'tuating' either leyer Bthrows'the pulleyj ontjo fiearirwith pulley j, and the rollers O C,

flute -.r.o'l'ler"D,Ian,d apron Bstop,'and also the endl'ss'apronsL M,'.while thefan J rotates. .Thisfstopping i-nterrnittinglyof the aprons L 'M is'in i portant, as it enables the attendant to 'snbject'eertain portionsllof thestoc'k a greater or Iess'period'to the dry ng process, as may be desired; I I The two aprons Ir M keep the: stock in their layersw'hile subjected to the dry'ing'proeess, I apid and thorough dry- .ing' of th'e'stock. I I II Having 'th as described my inve Patent,"is-

specified, I II I ranged to work or'move in contact, substantially as'lshown, and used in connection with the endless feeding-apronB, flntedroller '13," 'concavef, and picker E,o'ran' equivalent feed ing device tojco g-ch'ambe connection with the stationary roller t and dlessaprons L'M and placed insu'eh' relation with the dryin' I I and for the purpose setforth, I I

- 3. The el stic pressure-rollers;"010, when roiler D',';pieker E, and chn tefG,"for the-purpose of properly presenting the stock to the The arrangement," as described, of the pulleysj-j with theibelts i '0 O and the geartially as shown, m -admit, wnen esired, of the stoppingol' the hprons LM'and feeding meeh BENJAMIN sJAMEs, Witnessesr I I EDWIN- N; vlBo'rNroN,

2. The adjustable where, {when fused in I r.- H' as tooperate'as nsedin' conn endless-aprons;

ing (1 'e d e, ofthe-rollers C G; D, substanan'ism,"f or the purposeisp eifie PITT -HOLMES.

I tntf wuatr and desire to secnre'b'y Il etters' The employment or use; for the purpose of the.twoendless aprons L'M, a'rr nli y therstock f fi ction with the feed-apronB, fluted 

